Two senior KEBS officials arrested over Sh26 million financial scandal, three others being sought

Two senior managers at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) were yesterday arrested by the police who are investigating Sh26 million financial scandal.

Three other managers at the Kebs finance department were being sought by detectives from the Serious Crimes Unit.

A finance reconciliation manager based at the county offices was first to be arrested in Nairobi.

The manager was picked up at a residential house yesterday morning and driven to Mombasa for questioning.

Also arrested was a colleague, who is an accountant, at his home in Nanyuki.

The police said the duo would be arraigned in court on Monday. Among the crimes that the DCI is accusing the managers of committing include abuse of office and conspiracy to commit a crime.

The five senior officials are said to have fraudulently withdrawn Sh26 million from the agency’s accounts without authority.

The police claim that the senior officials within the finance department also directed Kebs clients to pay money into an account which is different from the official one.

“The cash was later withdrawn and was never accounted for,” said a detective.

In May, officers arrested four Kebs senior officers in connection with yet another Sh12 million fraud.

The four were among seven officers based in Kisumu and are accused of siphoning the money from the agency’s account.

Among those arrested and charged include Jacqueline Njeri Kangiri, who was then Kebs Regional Manager, Kisumu, Catherine Nangila Wanyonyi, Linet Bitengo and Daniel Ambrose osumba.